Dear Governor Rauner, President Cullerton, Speaker Madigan, Leader Radogno and Leader Durkin:
The League of Women Voters of Illinois is a nonpartisan political organization of women and men from across the state. We study and advocate for positions that place public interest over partisan politics. At our state convention on June 10 and 11, our membership urged our newly elected board to direct you, our governor and leaders in the General Assembly, to show political courage and meet your State Constitutional obligation to pass a full budget for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018.
The damage being done to our state by partial stopgap budgets and three years of uncertainty has reached crisis proportions: falling credit ratings, crushing debt service, the undermining of our great colleges and universities, the loss of vital services to the most vulnerable among us, and the huge backlog of unpaid bills negatively impacting our local economies.
The League of Women Voters of Illinois believes that taxes should be fair and flexible. Our current tax system is regressive; we favor amending the constitution to allow for a graduated rate income tax.
However, these steps need to be taken immediately to balance the budget without depriving citizens of vital services:
- Reinstate the temporary income tax rate increase that expired in January 2015.
- Broaden the sales tax to include an array of services, such as those of our bordering states of Iowa and Wisconsin.
- Tax retirement income, while exempting a reasonable and fair amount of that income to make such tax less regressive.
- Refinance the state’s debt and pension obligations.
- Pass a financial transactions tax in recognition of that growing sector of our economy.
- Do not freeze property taxes, which support schools and local governments.
We know how challenging it might be to sell these kinds of revenue increases to voters. That is why your leadership, courage, and bipartisan cooperation are imperative. Illinois’s problems are incredibly tough, so our lawmakers need to rise to the occasion. Remove partisanship, ideology, and personalities from the budget discussions and stop the destruction of the social fabric of our state.
Citizens appreciate and value political courage. Do what’s right for Illinois and pass a budget.
Sincerely,
Bonnie K. Cox
President
League of Women Voters of Illinois
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